<div><img class="invisible" style="display: none" src="[images%7COpenAccessDataProvider]ce2f6a44-3c43-4498-8553-edc0eeb40cea?sfvrsn=1f6c2e36_2"></div><div class="w-100 position-relative"> <img src="/ResourcePackages/Janes/assets/dist/images/placeholder-16-9.jpg" class="invisible w-100"> <div style="background-image: url("https://www.janes.com/images/default-source/news-images/bsp_58605-jdw-22280.jpeg?sfvrsn=1f6c2e36_2")" class="news-hero bg-center bg-cover position-absolute left-0 top-0 h-100 w-100"></div></div>
<p class="text-body text-muted small">Thales Australia’s Hawkei – pictured above in service with the Australian Army – and General Dynamics Land Systems’ Eagle are competing to supply the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force with a successor to its locally built Light Armoured Vehicle. (Commonwealth of Australia)</p>
<p>The Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) will procure Thales Australia’s Hawkei and General Dynamics Land Systems’ Eagle protected mobility vehicles for trials as part of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s (JGSDF) acquisition of a new wheeled armoured vehicle.</p>
<p>“This fiscal year we are going to procure the Hawkei and Eagle [vehicles] for demonstration [purposes],” an MoD spokesperson told <em>Janes</em>. “We will select [one of the vehicles for the JGSDF] based on the demonstration results.”</p>
<p>The wheeled armoured vehicle programme aims to replace the JGSDF’s ageing fleet of nearly 2,000 Komatsu 4×4 Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs).</p>
<p>The Japan MoD spokesperson said the number of new vehicles to be procured is “under consideration”. The spokesperson added, “The date [of the selection of vehicle and contract award] has not been fixed yet because it will be decided based on the demonstration results.”</p>
<p>According to <em>Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Armoured Fighting Vehicles, </em>the Hawkei is a 4×4 light protected mobility utility vehicle designed and built to provide greater protection for troops.</p>
<p>According to Thales, the Hawkei can be equipped with a 7.62 mm to 12.7 mm main gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. The Hawkei has a kerb weight of seven tonnes and a payload of three tonnes.</p>
Related Posts
Add A Comment